Grate shaker



Oct. 21, 1925. I 1 ,559,433

J. W. HULSDN GRATE SHAKER Filed Dec. 18. 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 awve ntoz jafa v Q17:

Oct. 27. 1925 J. w. HULSCLN GRATE SHAKER Filed Dec. 18. 1924 2 Sheets$heat Elwin two:

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- f Patented Oct. 27, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN W. HULSON, OF KEOKUK, IOWA, ASSIGNO'R TO HULSON' GRATE COMPANY.

GRA'I'E SHAKER.

Application filed December 18, 1924. Serial No. 756,759.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN W. HULSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Keokuk, in the county of Lee and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Grate Shakers; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in operating mechanisms for the grates of numerous kinds of furnaces, such mechanisms being commonly lmown as grate shakers, to the trade. Shakers of the type which I am improving, commonly employ a bracket projecting forwardly from the front of the furnace, and a shaker arm fulcrumed to said bracket, said Shaker arm being adapted for operation by means of a hand lever and being linked to depending crank arms on the fingers or grate bars, or otherwise connected with the movable elements of the grate. WVhen operating numerous kinds of grates, it is desirable to allow only a limited movement of the shaker arm to relieve the small accumulation of ash, to at other times permit full shaking movement of the grate, and normally to lock the shaker arm against movement so that the grate is similarly held. It is the object of my invention to provide an extremely simple and inexpensive, yet an efficient and reliable arrangement of parts for so controlling the movement of the shaker arm.

With the foregoing in view, the invention resides in the novel subject matter hereinafter described, and claimed, the description being supplemented by the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 is an elevation partly in section showing the improved shaker connected with a grate and locked in normal position.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the shaker with the novel locking and limiting means for the shaker arm.

Figure 8 is a vertical transverse sectional view as indicated by line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Figure 4; is a vertical transverse section as indicated by lines l4 of Figs. 1 and 2.

Figure 5 is a view similar to Fig. 1 but illustrating the locking member for the shaker swung to its released position and showing the manner in which the shaking movement of said arm may be limited.

Figure 6 is a vertical transverse section on line 66 of Fig. 5.

Figure 7 is a view similar to Figs. 1 and 5, illustrating the shaker arm entirely freed for full shaking movement.

Figure 8 is a vertical transverse sectional view on line 88 of Fig. 7

Figures 9, 10 and 11 are respectively a side elevation, a top plan view, and a front end view of the bracket upon which the shaker arm is fulcrumed.

In the drawings above briefly described, F designates the front of a furnace in which a grate G is disposed, said grate having a plurality of finger or grate bars B provided with downwardly projecting crank arms A connected by a link L. This link is in turn connected by a link L with a shaker arm 1 which constitutes a part of the improved grate shaker, this arm being fulcrumed on a horizontal fulcrum 2 to a supporting bracket 3 secured to the furnace front. This bracket is preferably of the construction illustrated more particularly in Figs. 9, 10 and 11 and it includes a pair of horizontal, laterally spaced arms 4 and 5, between which the arm 1 is fulcrumed, the arm 4 being provided at its outer side with a pair of vertical, laterally spaced upstanding ears 6, for a purpose to appear.

The shaker arm 1 is provided with a socket 7 or is otherwise suitably shaped for engagement with a hand lever 8, and said arm is formed with a curved upper end 9 concentric with its fulcrum 2, said end being provided with an upstanding lug 10. A.

forked locking member 11 is adapted to straddle this lug as shown for instance in Figs. 2 and 4, to hold the shaker arm 1 against movement when desired, said looking member having a shank 12 which is received between the ears 6, the free end 13 of said shank being extended outwardly beyond the cars so that it may be engaged by the operators foot to swing the lockingmember upwardly to a substantially vertical, released position. When the locking member 11 is swung upwardly and outwardly to the maximum, its movement will be limited by the end 13 of the shank 12, striking either the arm 4 of the bracket 3,

or the fulcrum 2, and in this connection, it may be explained that Figs. (5 and 8 do not disclose the member 11 swung upwardly and outwardly to the maximum.

A motion limiting yoke 14; is provided for the shaker arm 1, said yoke being of substantially U-shape and embracing the locking member 11, as shown most clearly in Fig. 2. The side arms 15 and 16 of the yoke 14: extend across the outer sides of the ears 6, and a single pivot bolt 17 passes through said side arms and ears and through the shank 12, to pivotally mount the locking member 11 and the yoke 14. The side arm 16 extends outwardly beyond the pivot 17, to a greater extent than the end 13 of the shank 12, providing a portion 18 which may be engaged by the users foot when the yoke 1-1 is to be swung from the horizontal position shown in Figs. 2, 4 and 6, to the vertical position disclosed in Fig. 8. When the yoke 1 1 is horizontally disposed, its side arms rest slidably upon the curved upper end 9 of the arm 1, so that when the locking member 11 is swung upwardly to a released position, the arm 1 may be rocked to a limited extent, controlled by the lug 10 and the side arms 15 and 16 which are disposed in the path of said lug. l/Vhen full shaking movement of the arm 1 is desired, both of the members 11 and 14; are swung upwardly to clear the lug 10, as indicated for instance in Figs. 7 and 8, and the yoke 14 is preferably provided with a transverse integral bar 19 which connects its arms 15 and 16 and underlies the locking member 11 when said member and said yoke are in the horizontal positions disclosed in Figs. 2, 3 and l. It will thus be seen that by simply forcing down upon the terminal 18 of the side arm 16, the yoke 14: will be swung upwardly and at the same time, the bar 19 will raise the locking member 11. Thus, at a single operation, both members 11 and I l may be moved clear of the lug 10 to permit unhampered movement of the shaker arm 1.

It will be seen from the foregoing that the invention is extremely simple and inexpensive, that it may be quickly and easily installed, and that it will be very ellicient for locking the grate against movement, for permitting slight movement of the grate bars to remove an accumulation of ashes, and to permit free shaking movement of the grate whenever desired.

As excellent results are obtainable from the details disclosed, they are preferably followed, but within the scope of the invention as claimed, modifications may of course be made.

I claim 1. A grate shaker comprising a supporting bracket, a grate shaking arm fulcrumed thereto on a horizontal axis and having an upstanding lug, a forked locking member pivoted on the bracket on a horizontal axis transverse to the fulcrum of the shaking arm and adapted to be swung to a substantially vertical released position or to a horizontal operative position in which it straddles said lug, and a movement limiting yoke pivoted to the bracket co-axially with said locking member, said yoke embracing said locking member and being movable to a horizontal operative position in which its side arms are disposed in the path of said lug to limit the movement of the shaking arm, said yoke being also movable to a substantially vertical released position.

A grate shaker comprising a supporting bracket, a grate shaking arm fulcrumed thereto on a horizontal axis and having a forwardly projecting portion to be engaged by a hand lever, said arm being provided with a lug extending upwardly from the upper end thereof, a forked locking member pivoted on the bracket on a horizontal axis transverse to the fulcrum of the shaking arm and adapted to be swung to a substantially vertical released position or to a horizontal operative position in which it extends across the upper end of said arm and straddles said lug, and a movementlimiting yoke pivoted to the bracket co-axially with said locking member, said yoke embracing said locking member and being movable to a horizontal operative position in which it extends across the upper end of said shaking arm and its side arms are disposed in the path of said lug to limit the movement of the shaking arm, said yoke being also movable to a substantially vertical released position.

3.11 structure as specified in claim 1; said yoke and locking member having extended portions to be depressed by the users foot to release them, said extended portions being adapted to strike the supporting bracket to limit the releasing movement of said locking member and yoke.

a. A grate shaker comprising a supporting bracket, a shaker arm disposed in a substantially vertical plane at one side of said bracket and fulcrumed to the latter on a horizontal axis, said shaker arm having a curved upper end concentric with its fulcrum and provided with an upstanding lug, a pair of laterally spaced vertically disposed cars on the side of the bracket opposite said shaker arm, a forked locking member having a shank disposed between said ears, said member being adapted to swing downwardly and straddle said lug to lock the shaker arm or to swing to a substantially vertical released position, a substantially U-shaped movement limiting yoke embracing said locking member and having its side arms disposed at the outer sides of the above-named ears, said side arms lOO being adapted to rest slidably on said curved end of the shaker arm in the path of the aforesaid lug, a transverse bar connecting said side arms and underlying said locking 5 member when the latter is in its operative position, and a pivot passing through said side arms, said ears and the shank of said locking member, said shank and one of said side arms being extended away from said pivot. 10

In testimony whereof I have hereunto aflixed my signature.

JOHN W. HULSON. 

